SOUPAH Kitchen & Grocery Technology Company, a woman-led agribusiness based in Ibadan, Nigeria, is spearheading innovative solutions to climate change and driving Africa’s energy transition. With support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Centre on Adaptation’s Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP), Soupah Kitchen is revolutionising urban agriculture by using resource-smart technology to cultivate lettuce, kale, leafy greens, and herbs through hydroponics on Ibadan rooftops.
Ifeloluwa Olatayo, the CEO of Soupah Kitchen, was one of the winners of the 2021 African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge organised by AAAP. She explained, ‘Our resource-smart technology is designed to grow up to three tonnes of fresh food within a 650 square-metre area. It will enhance the urban landscape and improve the air quality in our cities.’
Olatayo emphasised that Soupah Kitchen’s farms can sustainably cultivate with 95 percent less water than traditional farms, without relying on chemical fertilisers. The company’s yields are 30 percent larger than those of conventional farms and are produced in half the time, thanks to vertical hydroponic technology.
Through the YouthADAPT programme, Soupah Kitchen received $100,000 in funding, which has been instrumental in strengthening their climate-conscious mission and implementing their plans. Olatayo expressed her gratitude for the programme, saying, ‘The one-year accelerator programme has enabled me to learn about the best financing options to scale our impact.’ Soupah Kitchen has aspirations to replicate and scale up their technology in other African countries using blockchain technology.
Beyond the YouthADAPT funding, Soupah Kitchen also received €10,000 from the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria as a Food Connection Challenge Winner. The recognition of Soupah Kitchen’s achievements underscores the vital role of the private sector in closing financing gaps for green growth and building climate resilience.
In line with this focus on private sector involvement, the African Development Bank Group has chosen Mobilising Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth in Africa as the theme for its 2023 Annual Meetings. The meetings, scheduled from 22 to 26 May in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, will address the significance of private sector participation in driving climate and green growth initiatives across the continent.